Coupling.



No. 775,615. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

' J. m. 0.=TIMMS.

COUPLING.

APPLIOATION rum) MAR. 3, 1904.

' '3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v1W0 MODEL.

1 a l: L i i "I- 3 INVQVTORS PATENTED Nov. 22, 1904'.

J. & J. 0. TIMMS.

COUPLING.

APPLIOATION 11.31) MAR. a, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vNO MODEL.

' WITNESSES No. 775,615. PATENTEDNOV. 22, 1904. J. & J. 0. TIMMS.COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1904.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

I [TNESSES INVENTORS f 220% M Atmrnqy UNITED] STATES 'Patented November22, 1904'.

JAMES TIMMS AND JAMES O. TIMMS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,615, dated November22, 1904.

Application filed March a, 1904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES Trims and JAMEs 0. Trims, residents ofColumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Couplings; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improved carcoupling, the object of theinvention being to provide an improved reversible double-jawed knuckle,improved mounting therefor, and improved locking mechanism; and itconsists in certain novel features of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of ourimproved coupling. Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is aView in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 4: is a view of the knuckleremoved, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and are views illustrating variousother details of construction.

1 represents the coupler-head, having the ordinary draw-bar 2 andprovided on its interior at one side with an inclined seat 3 for alocking-block 4:, which latter is provided with a bottom incline to fitthe seat 3 and with an upper incline to move against a correspondingincline 5 at the top and guide the block to and from its lockingposition.

The head 1 is made at one side opposite to its guard-arm with enlargedlugs 12, having alined openings to receive the hinge-pin 6, also passedthrough an opening 7 in the knuckle 8. The knuckle 8 is made at bothends with jaws 9 precisely alike and connected by a contracted portion10, having two openings 7 therein, and the rear face of said contractedportion 10 is curved concentrically with the openings 7, so that eitherof said curved faces will turn fully yet lie snugly against the curvedface 11 of the head 1. Back of the lugs 12 the head 1 is internallyrecessed at its top and bottom, as shown at 13, conforming in contour tothe shape of the jaws 9 to receive the latter snugly therein and SerialNo. 196/102. (No model.)

form buffing-walls 14: and 15 to take practically all strain from thehinge-pin 6, whether the strain or shock to the knuckle be inward oroutward. The outer face of the jaws 9 are given the compound curvatureshown that is to say, they are dished, as shown at 16 which is adistinct improvement, as will now be pointed out. With the ordinary formof coupling now in use when two couplings are brought together withtheir knuckles in closed position, (which is a very common occurrence inrailroad-yards,) owing to the rounded face of the knuckles coming intocontact with each other, they will be deflected to one side and strikethe guard-arm with great force and often break the same. By shaping thejaws as above described when two knuckles come together the curvature oftheir outer faces is such as to deflect the outer end of one knuckle tothe center of the other, preventing deflection against the guard-arm,and thus sustaining the entire buffing shock without injury.

The locking-block 1, above referred to, is comparatively thin with flatparallel sides and movable against the flat inner side face 17 of thehead, and its rearward movement is limited by a wall 24, with which itsinner edge comes into contact, the lower inclined portion of thelocking-block being preferably elongated, as shown, to provide a longsurface contact with inclined seat 3 and insure the block remaining inoperative position and not be jarred out of place. When in lockedposition, the block a is at the lowest forward end of incline seat 3 andis located between the end of the inner knuckle-jaw 9 and flat side face17 of the head, absolutely preventing any pivotal movement of theknuckle.

To unlock the knuckle, a vertically-movable angular pin 18 is providedand extends downwardly through the head 1, the opening in the top of thehead being elongated, as shown, to permit forward tilting of the pin tosetthe same, with its shoulder 19 resting on the shoulder 20 in thehead, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The unlocking-pin 18 cured therein in any approved manner and projectinginto an inclined slot 22 in block 4, so that when unlocking-pin 18 israised the has asmall pin 21 se- TOO pin 21 in slot 22 will cause theblock t to move rearward up its inclined seat 3, and when the block hasmoved far enough rearward to permit free opening of the knuckle the pin18 will be in position to seat its shoulder 19 on the shoulder 20 andset the lock to permit the knuckle to freely open and will remain insuch position until given a sharp blow by the knuckle in closing to bumpthe pin from its seat and permit it to fall and the block 4: to slideforward down its incline 3 between the knuckle and flat face 17 of thecoupling-head and securely lock the knuckle in its closed position.When, however, the pin is in its set position, with the locking-blockheld back in its unlocked position, light contact of the knuckle withthe pin in closing, or in vibrating movement while, for instance, inswitching cars about a yard, the pin will pivot on its seat or shoulder20 and remain in its unlocked position and will only be dislodged whenthe knuckle is driven in with a sharp bang, such as occurs when carscome together in coupling. It is desirable in all cases where a couplingbreaks or its draw-head pulls away from the draft-rigging to uncouplethe cars, preventing the joined couplings falling to the track andderailing or otherwise causing injury, and to compel this uncouplingunder such conditions we provide a roller 23 in the rear face of pin 18,which roller moves against flat wall 2 L in the head 1, reduces thefriction of parts, and permits the rearward as well'as upward pull todraw up the pin and uncouple. VVithout such roller 23 the rearward pullwould bind the pin, and it could not rise.

The operation of our improvements is as follows: When the knuckle isopen and the locking-block 4: is in its forward looking position, aninward movement of the knuckle will first force the block t backward andup its inclined seat until the knuckle is fully closed, when the block 4will slide forward into position between the inner jaw of the knuckleand the side wall 17 of the-head and securely lock the knuckle in itsclosed position. To open, the pin 18 is raised, drawing back block 4:and seating its shoulder 19 on shoulder 20 when it reaches the properelevation. The knuckle can fully openand close and when moved inwardwith suflicient force will dislodge the pin from its set position andpermit the block to move forward to its locked position. Should one jawof the knuckle become Worn from anycause, the knuckle can be reversed,as both jaws are-precisely alike and the knuckle will work in eitherposition. These jaws are, as above explained, when swung into the headseated in recesses 13 in the top and bottom of the head, and the walls14 and 15 of said recesses cooperate with the 'walls of the inner jaw torelieve the hinge-pin of practically all strain and give to the couplinggreat strength and durability. A great many changes might be made in thegeneral form and arrangement of the parts described without departingfrom our invention, and hence we do not restrict ourselves to theprecise details set forth, but consider ourselves at liberty to makesuch slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit andscope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coupling, the combination with a head, of a reversible knucklehaving similar jaws at both ends, and said head made with recesses toreceive the inner jaw of the knuckle and sustain practically all strainon the knuckle.

2. In a coupling, the combination with a head, of a reversible pivotedknuckle, shaped exactly alike at both ends, and having two openings toreceive a hinge-pin in either of them according to theposition of theknuckle, and said head recessed to seat the inner jaw and sustain thestrain on the knuckle.

3. In a coupling, the combination with a draw-head recessed in its topand bottom, of a reversible knuckle, pivoted at one side of said headand having similar jaws at its ends, either of which is adapted to fitthe recesses in the head, and the walls of said recesses cooperatingwith the inner jaw to sustain the strain on the knuckle.

4. The combination with a draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle in said headhaving its outer face dished or slightly curved inward between its ends.

5. The combination with a draw-head, of a reversible knuckle pivotedbetween its ends in the head, and having similar jaws at its ends bothdished on their buffing-faces between their ends to prevent flaring ofthe knuckles when brought together in their closed position.

6. In a coupling, the combination with a draw-head and a knuckle pivotedin the head, of a locking-block disposed in said head to lie against theside wall of the head and to receive the knuckle to lock it in itsclosed position, an inclined seat for said block, and means for settingsaid block at the inner upper end of the incline.

7. In a coupling, the combination with a draw-head, and a knucklepivoted therein, of a locking-block in the head, an inclined seat forsaid block, a vertically-movable unlocking-pin in the head, a cross-pinin the unlockirig-pin projecting into an inclined slot in the block, sothat when said pin is raised the locking mechanism, and a roller carriedby said pin and contacting with a Wall of said draw-head enabling thecoupling to open when one breaks or pulls away from its draft-rigging.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES TIMMS. JAMES O. TIMMS.

Witnesses:

L. B. TUSSING, NOMA SNYDER.

